Saturday, March 17, 2007

story 1 - Room for her

room for her

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How much percentage did you get?

This is marks or what?

You have become worse this year.

What happened to you?

I knew this will happen.. I knew it!!

When u started watching all the Tv serials..Where do u have time for your books?

100 times standing in front of the mirror and changing hairstyle.. that’s all you are interested in.

I Knew all this will happen..’

Rajam started talking to herself . Her hands were busy in the preparation of chappati attaa. In the meanwhile, Sangeetha, her only daughter, continued watching T.V. which only increased her mother’s fury. Rajam applied more pressure on the attaa and continued, “See my life. I made a mistake. Could not complete my SSC. See I am dying here in this kitchen all the time. At least you should not do the same mistake. You must study and come up in life. That is my expectation. That is my only dream.” Rajam was washing her hands with water and wipping them with her sari pallu.

Sangeeta changed the channel from MTV to Channel V.

The sound increased. Rock music echoed from the small hall.

Rajam’s BP shot up. She came out of the room and started screaming.

“sangu..iam talking with you, not with these walls..”

Even though she was, Sangeeta pretended to be not bothered by her mother’s outburst. She slowly got up from the sofa set. Rajam switched off the TV.

Their house was a MADHA house. There was no separate hall, kitchen, bedroom etc. the only facility they had in this MADHA house is it had self WC. That’s all.The wooden partition of the house changed that room into two, one served as a small kitchen and the other, a multi purpose room. In the kitchen only one person could stand and there was never a place for the second helping hand. The hall was used as bedroom at night for all. It also served as a study room, dining room, etc etc. To the right of the kitchen table stood a 180 lrs Godrej refrigerator. On top of the fridge, there was a small wooden stand on the wall with ganpathy photo & Pooja lamps. To the left was the WC. The hall was full of EMI items - the Sofa, TV, study table with one chair, small tea-poi and Godrej steel cupboard with mirror. The space in the middle of the room was used for sitting and eating food.

Sangeeta kept her tea cup on the study table and opened her school book. She removed her note books one by one and kept everything on the table. She had not yet decided which subject to study. Her tution teacher had given her maths home work and her school teacher punished her to write the history question answers ten times.

At that time sangeeta’s daddy came back from the office. Sangeeta’s daddy was a kalashi in the western railway workshop at matunga. He was looking tired. He came in and removed his shoes. Before changing his shirt, he switched on the TV and sat on the sofa.

He returned home early today to watch the India’s batting. Rajam served him hot tea and started preparing the night dinner.

Sangeeta started writing the history assignment first.

“kring.. kring..kkkkring”

(The door bell..)

“ oh uncle ..come .. come come.in . rajam see here who has come?”

Rajam came out .. “ what a surprise chitappa.. how is chithi .. prema, kumar

And all?”

All are fine rajam. Where is ur little one?

Chittappa.. see this is my little one..

She’s become big.

Chitappa.. after five years You are coming to my house today..

Oh sorrymaa.. u know this month end prema’s wedding.. the boy is from

Mumbai only. He gave the invitation to gopal and rajam prepared tea for him..

Sangeeta removed her maths note book and started doing the maths homework fast fast.

“ u are not getting late to ur tution classes, sangu?” Gopal asked her daughter..

Sangeeta got up and washed her face and removed the school ribbon from her hair and started combing her hair.

In tuition class, the teacher was very angry with her.

“sangeeta.. how many times have I told u .. U must finish your home work and study the lessons before coming to the tution. If u come to the classes without finishing the home work, I will send u back. I don’t want to spoil our coaching class name with your marks.”

“Sorry teacher..”

At 9.pm. sangeeta started doing her school teacher’s home work.

Rajam’s TV serials started at this time. Rajam was very eager to know about the hero’s decision of his life.. Is he going to live with his wife or is he going to stay with his lover..

She was worried about the wife and her children. At the same time she felt sorry for his girl friend and her future.

Thanks to the 10 minutes advertisements. She could serve dinner at around that time

And continue watching her TV serials without any disturbance.

Sangeeta finished her dinner very fast. She felt sleepy. She washed her face and started her next home work.

Some of Gopal’s friends came over to meet him. They were around five to six people. All were of Gopal’s age group. They had come to sell a cultural programme tickets. Gopal bought three tickets. They discussed about politics and the cricket match. They took money from Gopal and left.

Sangeeta was sleeping on the study table with all her books and notes around.

“ This is what keeps happening to her every day. She just goes to sleep immediately whenever she takes her books.. We are just wasting monthly five hundred rupees for her tution classes. What is the use of her tution?” Rajam put the bed sheet on her and arranged her text books and note books.

Gopal switched off the light and sat with her to watch the next tv serial.

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1 comment:

  1. Is Sangeetha's character based on someone I Know.... [:)]

    ReplyDelete